Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

I saw the original recipe for this on The Smitten Kitchen web site. I immediately tagged it, knowing it was right up my alley. Tonight I went to work and put my own spin on it and it was delicious. I used fresh basil instead of tarragon which we love and really brought out the lemon flavors. And because I didn't have goat cheese and didn't feel like going out to buy it, I though cream cheese would be a great substitute. And it was!

Serves 4

10 oz. Smart Taste rotini pasta or similar
1/2 pound asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into bite sized pieces
1/8 - 1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
4 oz. softened light cream cheese, broken up
6 oz. chicken, grilled or sauteed on the stove with seasoning
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 lemon, juiced

Combine the lemon peel, basil, cooked chicken, lemon jice and cream cheese (break into pieces) in a large bowl. Cook the pasta according the directions and add the asparagus in for the last 2 minutes. Do not drain the pasta! Add two ladels of pasta water into the bowl. Now drain it! Pour the pasta and asparagus into the bowl and mix it all together well. The cheese should melt forming a nice creamy sauce. Salt & pepper and serve!